Never Use a Phone Selfie Your image matters, so using selfies from your phone for your employee portrait or your LinkedIn profile is a big no-no. Selfies don’t read professional, they just read lazy.

Don’t Use a ‘Night Out’ Photo Everybody gets lucky with the perfect lighting, the best outfit, or perfectly styled hair on a night out with friends. But seriously, that photo is far from sending a professional message.

Find the Right Professional Photographer Start looking at the work of professional photographers in your area. Be selective. Look through their portfolio with intention and discuss budget upfront. Creating an image that really exemplifies who you are requires a connection to the photographer.

Avoid Excessive Retouching Stay away from too much Photoshop manipulation (or “airbrushing”). Chat with your photographer about their intentions for editing. Accenting your character and personality is what your photographer should strive to do. Keep a close eye on the work that is in their portfolios - do the people look like real, relatable people to you?

Purchase More Than One Photo When going through proofs from your photo session, identify an image you need now and one for the future, then purchase two different images. This could be different poses in different shirts or jacket, hair up or down, etc. Ordering a couple of images up front will cut your cost in the future.

Create Consistency Realize that the image you choose is your personal brand. Use it for at least a year (yes, a year!). A new image every week only works for models. Variety can be fun but doesn’t show stability and comfort in your skin. Be strong in your image and your brand will back it up.

Find The Right Photographer Hire a quality, professional photographer that has a portfolio that matches the portrait style you’re looking for. Think about the kind of message you want to send. Do you want to portray corporate professionalism, fun personality, or somewhere in between?

Think Long Term The photographer’s portfolio matters, but make sure they are someone you can (and want to) use again. Every company will face turnover, so consistent lighting and backgrounds are key. You want to know that the next person you hire will be added to the page and look like they were photographed on the same day as the others.

Say Goodbye to Stock Photography We live in a world where hiring a professional photographer is only an email or call away. Having quality, original work featured on your website sets you apart from those who use stock images. Working with a photographer will give you more personalized images to differentiate your business. Take the opportunity to accentuate your team, your space, and your company.